This week I welcome guest blogger, David Hundert. David and his wife Terri are members of Faith Church. David is currently studying for his Master of Divinity at Evangelical Seminary of Kairos University.
The Third Antiphon (Chant) 130-134
At this point, this journey is on it’s last leg. The kids have fallen asleep. They’ve gotten cheerios all over the camel saddle and spilled their falafel all over the place. We’re getting close.
The closer they get, the further back their enemies seem to be left behind. It’s difficult sometimes for us as believers, to understand the critical importance the journey to the temple would have been for the Jews; for it’s purpose and means for making appeals to the Lord.
We Christians have a mediator that we can call out to at any time and know that according to His word, we are heard. This idea wasn’t foreign to ancient Israelites either. People could cry out anywhere. The Israelites prayed and had festivals in local and regional locations. In fact, local temples became a considerable problem as they were prone to foreign forms of worship and ritual.
Certainly, the exiles with their emerging forms of synagogue worship, based on lamentation in far off Babylon understood that prayers could be lifted up anywhere. There are two things, however, that local sanctuaries and private prayers couldn’t do.
First, places of worship unite the community. But when it is local, it can’t unite the local community to a greater unity, a greater community, a kingdom. Second, when there is internal conflict, and there always is, a local community may not be able to resolve its internal strife without an appeal to a greater community.
At this point in the journey, we don’t expect for them to start dwelling on their own state of sinfulness. Yet this final antiphon returns to the same cry to the Lord that launched their journey to begin with. We read in Psalms 130, 131 and 132,
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.
Lord, remember David and all his self-denial. He swore an oath to the Lord, he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: “I will not enter my house or go to my bed, I will allow no sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.” We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: “Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool, saying, ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy.’ ” For the sake of your servant David, do not reject your anointed one. The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.” For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it. I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy. “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”
Beyond a doubt, this psalm has caught a glimpse of the summit peaking through clouds. It envisions a perfect situation. The temple is full of the “loyal ones,” led out by priests clothed in righteousness. The king triumphantly enters the city with “the Ark of Thy might” heralding victory over a threatening enemy. Most importantly, this triumph will signal a great turnaround.
Going forward, to finish up our journey, we look into Psalms 133-34 which read,
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
Ascending a great height or embarking on a long journey is a dominant theme of the Songs of Ascents and this book. Thank you for going along on this journey with me. However I want to ask, what does this have to do with Advent, and what does it have to do with me?
In the next and final post on this series on the Psalms of Ascent, we’ll talk about that.
Photo by Tommy Kwak on Unsplash
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